RoHS and Payne Engineering
How the European Union RoHS directive applies to Payne Engineering products.
What is RoHS?
RoHS stands for Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment. It is a European Union directive for specified products placed on the internal market of the European Union.
The directive restricts the use of the following materials:
- lead
- mercury
- cadmium
- hexavalent chromium
- polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs)
- polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
However, there are ten allowed exemptions. Exemptions that pertain to Payne Engineering products include lead in high temperature solders.
The full RoHS directive (No. 2002/95/EC), along with the exemptions, is published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The implementation date is July 1, 2006.
What products are and are not covered?
Categories of electrical and electronic equipment covered by the RoHS directive are based on categories 1–7 and 10 of Annex IA of the WEEE directive (No. 2002/96/EC). The WEEE directive is another European Union directive, and addresses end-of-life product waste. The categories are:
- Large household appliances
- Small household appliances
- IT and telecommunications equipment
- Consumer equipment
- Lighting equipment
- Electrical and electronic tools
- Toys, leisure and sports equipment
- Automatic dispensers
- Electric light bulbs and luminaires in households
Payne Engineering products are not directly affected by either the RoHS or the WEEE directives. These products are typically for industrial or commercial use, whereas the RoHS directive is directed to consumer goods.